Local church welcomes large international class to The C of I with quilts

Today is the first day of school for The C of I and congregants from Faith Lutheran church in Caldwell made more than 40 quilts and collected bed sheets to welcome one of the College’s largest classes of international students ever. It’s the second year that the church’s quilting group has made bedding for the students.

The C of I has 42 new international students this fall, and about 80 total international students. Total enrollment of all students will be available after the 10th day of classes.

International students arrive at The C of I a few days before other students and participate in an international student orientation, which gives them an idea of what to expect in the United States, including expectations in the classroom.

“We like to make our international students feel comfortable as soon as they arrive on campus and part of that is having their beds ready, especially since some of them arrive late at night,” Arnold Hernandez, The C of I’s director of multi-cultural programs, said. “It’s a way to let them know they are welcome in their new community.”

Faith Lutheran has a 35-year tradition of making quilts for people in need. In addition to The C of I, quilts are donated to the Canyon County food bank, to women’s shelters and to the Salvation Army.

C of I student Chantal Umutoni from Rwanda said she was thrilled to see the quilt in her room.

“Receiving the quilt was wonderful and amazing because I was very afraid I wouldn’t have anything to cover myself with at college,” she said. “Getting the quilt was very welcoming.”

The C of I has been focusing on recruiting international students to its campus in recent years to encourage American and international students to learn about each other’s cultures in a global economy.

“Students need to learn about other cultures and nations to better understand how the world is shaped on a day-to-day basis,” said Brian Bava, admission director at the college. “An international population of this size has a tremendous impact at a small college like the C of I. Small classes that include 6, 8, or even 10 nations represented have a totally different focus than many of the homogenous classrooms found in other institutions within the state.”

Sidebar: The C of I seeks participants for Friendship Family Program

The College of Idaho has ways of supporting international students throughout the year, including a new Friendship Family Program that invites local American families to befriend an international student and provide them with opportunities to learn and experience American culture from in a home setting.

“This program will also provide local families with the unique opportunity to learn about other cultures through the international students they befriend,” said Sage Mwiinga, international student program coordinator at The College of Idaho.

For information about how to participate, contact Mwiinga at by email or call him at (208) 459-5024.

Eight students from The C of I spent 10 weeks this summer conducting biomedical research through the National Institutes of Health IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (NIH-INBRE) summer research fellows program, which gives students $5,000 to work in the labs of scientist mentors and participate in a research conference at Idaho State University.

The summer fellows program is part of a $16.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health shared by 10 Idaho higher education and research institutions to enhance the state’s biomedical research. The C of I will receive $1.77 million over the next five years. The grant is the third major award for the INBRE network since it was founded in 2001 and brings the total federal investment to $40 million.

This year’s INBRE fellows were Emir Kodic and Erick Valenzuela, who worked in the chemistry lab of Dr. Carolyn Dadabay; Justin Martin and Kim Stucker, who worked in the biology lab of Dr. Mark Gunderson; Dayne Filer and Cody Christensen, who worked in the biology lab of Dr. Sara Heggland; and Jeremy West and Amanda Smith who worked in the chemistry lab of Dr. John Thurston.

The fellows presented their research at the 8th Annual Idaho INBRE conference at ISU Aug. 3-5.

Heggland was an invited speaker at this year’s Idaho INBRE conference. She served on a faculty panel discussion titled “Making the Transition from the Classroom to the Research Bench.”

Heggland, who is chair of the biology department and director of student research and creative activities at The C of I said research gives students a chance to actively engage in the process of science.

“In the research lab, they get to think like a scientist by developing hypotheses and testing those hypotheses through experimentation,” she said. “They quickly discover it is not the same as doing classroom labs, in which experiments are designed to work.”

More than 70 students from The C of I have participated in INBRE-funded research over the past five years. Several students who participate in the summer research program continue doing research during the academic year.

Lauren Delana, a senior biology major, has worked in Heggland’s lab all four years while at The C of I. Delana started as an INBRE summer fellow her freshman year.

Senior biology major Justin Martin conducted research to determine the effect industrial chemical pollutants are having on the physiology of alligators from Florida ecosystems.

“Practically speaking, I could not work with live alligators or work in Florida this summer,” Martin said. “Working in the lab allowed me to experience the frustration, exhilaration, stress, and satisfaction that goes with real world research.”

Below is a partial list of events. For a full list of activities, click here.

Events include:

Dinner with Professor Franklin Specht – Once a year isn’t often enough for the annual Franklin Specht pasta dinner. Don’t miss this Homecoming barbecue on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. at Bitner Vineyards. Cost is $15. Click here to register.

History Brunch – Your history professors are looking forward to seeing you again – don’t miss this opportunity to catch up with them as well as your fellow history classmates on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 9 a.m. in Simplot Dining Hall. Cost is $10.

Alumni Awards Dinner – Join us in celebrating our Distinguished Alumni Award recipients for 2009 – Janie Burns (‘77), Jeff Shinn (’73), David Muller (‘99) and the Pippitt family will be honored on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. in Simplot Dining Hall. Cost is $20 and RSVPs are needed by Sept. 14.

Other events and activities include the Coyote Open Golf Tournament, Taste of the Harvest annual Idaho wine and food festival, and the Hayman Hall rededication ceremony.

Barbara J. “Bobby” Rankin died Aug. 24

Barbara Joyce “Bobby” Rankin, 87, of Caldwell, passed away Monday, Aug. 24 in Boise. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family using the online guestbook at www.dakanfuneralchapel.com.

Bobby was born Jan. 19, 1922, in Rolla, North Dakota, the fourth of six children born to Frank and Anna Troupe Bartley. The family later moved to Washington, where Bobby graduated from Stadium High School in Tacoma. She worked as a seamstress in a men’s slack factory, where she said she learned how to sew straight seams quickly, a skill she put to good use later in life.

While a U.S.O. Junior Hostess in Tacoma, she met then-Staff Sgt. William J. “Bill” Rankin of Caldwell, who was playing in the dance band at a dance she attended. They were married in Tacoma on June 6, 1942.

Bill was a 1941 graduate of The C of I as were four of their six children –Lindy (‘67), Nancy (‘69), Bart (‘71), Bruce and Tom (‘83), and Fayrene Spencer.

Bobby was a remarkably talented woman. An expert seamstress, she made almost all clothing for herself and her daughters, including bridal gowns and bridesmaids’ dresses for Lindy’s and Nancy’s weddings. She was accomplished at needlework – cross-stitch, hardanger and knitting – and won ribbons for her work. She rewired appliances, painted plaid cupboards in her kitchen, laid tile, did ceramics, knit what seemed like hundreds of pairs of slippers for the Salvation Army, and each summer tended to an enormous garden that produced so much zucchini that her children ate the vegetable baked, broiled, sautéed, steamed, stuffed, mashed, fried and made into marmalade.

Over the years, Bobby and Bill hosted more than 30 international students in their home, including six brothers, Magno, Jaime, Lucho, Juan, Guillermo and Fernando, from the Herran family of Puira, Peru. In later years, when the Herran family held a reunion in Puira, Bobby and Bill were honored guests. Bobby was active in the American Field Service and Youth for Understanding programs, spending 22 years as the YFU area representative. Bobby and Bill’s influence through exchange programs was truly global, though nearly all of their work was done in the Treasure Valley. For their work, Bobby and Bill were named “Distinguished Citizens” by the Idaho Statesman in 1976.

Bobby was involved in many civic activities, including the American Cancer Society, the Caldwell Community Development Commission and Caldwell Beautification Commission, election board service, and the American Red Cross, managing the Caldwell office for 12 years.

A deacon at Boone Memorial Presbyterian Church, she served as the church’s wedding coordinator for many years. In 1971, the JayCettes named Bobby “Outstanding Woman of Caldwell” for her work.

She is survived by Bill, her husband of 67 years; her children, her grandchildren Marshall High, Matthew High, Sara Rankin, Alice Eberharter, Jann Eberharter, Kelsie Skerrett, Charlie Cotten and Brian Cotten; her brother, Jim Bartley; and by numerous nieces and nephews. She is also survived by the international students who lived with the Rankins, many of whom have returned to Caldwell to visit Bobby and Bill over the years.

Memorials may be sent to either The College of Idaho or to Boone Memorial Presbyterian Church in Caldwell.

Campus Clean-Up Day a success

More than 100 staff, faculty, students, alumni, trustees, and friends of the College participated in the 2009 Campus Clean-Up Day. Clean-Up Day started several years ago as a way for faculty, staff, trustees, alumni and friends of the college to beautify campus before students returned from summer break.

“I appreciate the campus community coming out in such large numbers to help pull weeds, pick up trash and complete other tasks,” President Marv Henberg said. “This is a beautiful campus and we are proud of it.”

Faculty News

Golden’s “A Tuna Christmas” begins; The C of I night is Sept. 20

“A Tuna Christmas” starring professor Joe Golden debuted at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival last weekend and was previewed on the cover of Scene magazine. Golden and Fool Squad partner Tom Willmorth performed the extremely popular and well received “Greater Tuna” last season.

The C of I is hosting an evening to enjoy “A Tuna Christmas” with discounted tickets on Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. Discounted tickets are $23 plus tax. To reserve seats, or switch your season tickets to this date, call the box office at 336-9221 and tell them you’re with The C of I. For more information, please contact Courtney Carissimi in the alumni office.

Golden and Willmorth will receive the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Arts Education on Sept. 25. Neither can attend because of the show, but they will be honored and a tape of them will be shown at the ceremony.

Student News

Locke earns internship as writer for fashion blog

Junior Michelle Locke, who has been reading, writing and blogging about fashion for several years, has been chosen from among 200 applicants as one of 10 writers for CollegeFashion.net, a fashion blog.

In announcing Locke’s selection, CollegeFashion.net said Locke “loves writing, vintage shops, poetry readings, and scrapbooking, Michelle knows style on a budget and will show you how to navigate the thrift shops to get a fabulous vintage-inspired look without spending a lot.”

Locke, a creative writing major, said she had just started following CollegeFashion.net when the ad for internship opportunities was posted.

“I immediately applied because it was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for,” she said.

Locke said she is looking forward to providing information to thousands of other college students about good deals and expanding their personal style.

“I’m into the idea of sustainable fashion – that is, not necessarily buying everything new and not just throwing clothes away when they get ‘old’ or the trend passes,” she said. “But I also just want to educate CF readers and make sure they feel great about themselves and their personal style.”

Upcoming Campus Events:

Free showing of “D TOUR” Sept. 16 in KAIC

Independent Television Service (ITVS), The College of Idaho and Idaho Public Television present the movie “D TOUR” by Jim Granato from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in KAIC 106. The screening is free and open to the public.

D TOUR is about Pat Spurgeon, who has big dreams to make it as an indie rock musician. Just as his career is about to take off, his only kidney begins to fail. Follow Pat on his emotional search for a living organ donor. Following the 60-minute film, a speaker will discuss organ donations, special considerations and involve the audience in a discussion of issues raised in the film. The film has been abridged from 90 minutes for this special event. The full 90-minute version can be seen on Idaho Public Television in November.

Caldwell Fine Arts presents Idaho Showcase Sept. 17

Idaho Showcase, the opening event for Caldwell Fine Arts’ 48th season, is Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Jewett Auditorium. The Langroise Trio, the College’s artists-in-residence, and tenor Corey McKnight, formerly with Chanticleer, perform music by Idaho composer Jim Cockey. Soprano Mari Jo Tynon, pianists Lisa Derry, Paul Moulton, Robyn Wells, and organist Sean Rogers, faculty members of The College of Idaho, provide a variety of music and instruments.

Tickets are $10-12 for adults; $6-8 for students at the door. To order, call 459-3405 or go to www.caldwellfinearts.org. Students from the The C of I are free and can get tickets from the McCain information desk or online.

Rember lecture Sept. 21 in KAIC

John Rember, The C of I writer-at-large, will be on campus giving a lecture titled “The Writer As Material Witness: Seeing and Surviving the Violence of the Mundane,” on Monday, Sept. 21 in KAIC 106 at 7 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Rember will discuss writing and will talk about the damage that everyday life does to artists and writers, and how to look honestly at a world that has been born of violence.

Lynn Maxfield (‘05) is completing his doctorate in vocal performance and pedagogy at the University of Iowa, and was recently appointed to the voice faculty of Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., where he is currently teaching full time.

Bobby Powers (‘09) was quoted in a recent story on OregonLive.com, the online site for the Oregonian newspaper about his decision to attend Willamette University’s MBA program in a difficult economy. To read the story, click here.

Alumni & Friends Events

For more information about the events listed below, call the Alumni Office (208) 459-5770 or email. The C of I Alumni calendar is also available online.

Sept. 11 – Lawyers, judges, politicians and law enforcement social hour and mixer at 4:30 p.m. at The C of I McCain Center Pub (formerly Kirkpatrick Gym).

Sept. 12 – Volunteer Corps Boise River Sweep at 9:30 a.m. Meet at the Red Lion Hotel on Main Street in Boise.

Sept. 16 – NYC area alumni and friends event at Bistrouge in the East Village from 7-9 p.m., to introduce the 12th president of The College of Idaho, Dr. Marvin Henberg and his wife Laurie Henberg. For more information, call the Alumni Office at (208) 459-5770.

Sept. 17 – Washington, DC area alumni and friends event at the home of David Miller (‘64), 2034 16th St NW, Washington, DC, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., to introduce the 12th president of The College of Idaho, Dr. Marvin Henberg and his wife Laurie Henberg. Light appetizers and beverages will be provided by the Alumni Office.

Sept. 17 – The Portland Timbers welcome The College of Idaho alumni to a fun-filled night at PGE Park. C of I alumni can purchase $10 discounted tickets for the game, which starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance to receive the discount. Order your tickets by calling Katie Hoffner at (503) 553-5404 or emailing khoffner@pgepark.com before Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. Offer not valid at the PGE Park Box Office. For more information, call 208.459.5770 or emailalumni@collegeofidaho.edu.

Sept. 20 – The Idaho Shakespeare Festival’s “A Tuna Christmas,” starring Professor Joe Golden at 7 p.m. Discounted tickets are $23 plus tax. To reserve seats, or switch your season tickets to this date, call the box office at 336-9221 and tell them you’re with The C of I. See more info and a link to a preview of the show above in Faculty News.

Sept. 24-27 – Homecoming 2009, which includes a history majors reunion. For more information and to register, click here. See more information above, “Homecoming and history majors reunion begins Sept. 24; registration due Sept. 14.”

Nov. 8 – San Francisco Bay Area alumni event. Special tailgate hosted by San Francisco 49er Hall of Famer RC Owens, followed by game against the Tennessee Titans. More info to come.

Reminders:

The College of Idaho Alumni Association introduces C of I Alumni Connections, a Facebook application. Alumni Connections allows you to:

Update your alumni profile info when you move, get a new job, get married, etc.

Search for classmates

View and post class notes

Alumni must have a College of Idaho Alumni Association Online Community account to participate. To get an account, click here. Facebook accounts can be linked to The College of Idaho Alumni Association Online Community account by clicking here.

Alumni merchandise available from C of I online bookstore

Alumni merchandise including sweatshirts, license plate frames and school spirit house flags can now be ordered online. Alumni receive a 10 percent discount on all purchases made at the store, online or over the phone. To receive the discount when ordering online or by phone, please contact the bookstore at 459-5407. The license plate frames and house flags pictured must be ordered directly from the bookstore by phone or email.

C of I license plates available

Idaho license plates with The College of Idaho name and logo are sold for $35 the first year they are purchased, which is in addition to the annual vehicle registration fee. They are $25 plus annual fees for each subsequent renewal. The College of Idaho receives $25 from the sale of new plates and $15 from each renewal, which goes to its scholarship and academic programs. Personalized and sample license plates can be ordered online. Non-personalized plates are available at any county auto licensing office in Idaho.